Improvement in railway-rails



UNITED STATES GEORGE O. KUNKLE, OF ZIEGLERVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-RAILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,599, dated January20, 1874; application filed September 27, 1873.

\ rail.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention relates to rails made in two parts, and consists in apeculiar relative con struction that not only allows them to be rolledin the usual manner, but enables them to be inserted under, and heldentirely by overlapping projections of thechair.

In the drawing, A represents the base-rail,

` B the cap-rail, and O the chair for connecting them to the sills orcross-ties. The cap-rail is so shaped that its head overlaps that ofrail A, passing then along its side, and being curved at the innercorner of the base, so as to slip easily along rail A, and be easilyremoved and replaced. The head and base of cap rail B are so constructedthat its center of gravity will fall as near as practicable to themiddle of the whole base, fit-ting in such a manner over the base-railthat when both are put in place any superimposed weight presses it stillmore in its place, even without being bolted to the lower rail. A trainmay therefore run over the rail with comparative safety withoutproducing a separation of the rails, as the pressure forces themtogether. The upper rail B can only be displaced by a direct upwardmotion, by being lifted and turned at the same time, so that the rails,if they are moved by top or side pressure, must move together. The railsare connected by crossbolts a and set into chairs O of the ties. Thebase-rail A is rst placed in position, being produced to correspond withthe cap-rail B, with rounded head and forwardprojecting lower corner, asindicated in Fig. 1. The cap-rail B is then placed with its outer edgeunder the chair-recess, and slid along the base-rail till the headoverlaps the base-rail, resting fully thereon.

Both the upper and lower rails may be removed andl substituted veryquickly, and without drawing a spike. The wear is confined almostentirely tothe upper rail, which may be made of steel, the lower ofiron.

A chair may be used on every tie, or on alternate ties, as desired.

The joints of the upper rails are placed midway between those of thelower, making thereby a continuous rail without the battering at thejoints of the rails.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- A railroad-rail made in'two parts, A B, constructedas shown in drawing, and 'adapted to be held in a chair by overlappingprojections over the latter.

GEORGE O. KUNKLE.

Witnesses SAML. E. NvoE, C. B. MILLER.

